Shock absorbing device for doors



Feb. 13, 1951 c. F. sPoNsLr-:R

SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE F'OR DOORS Filed July 25, 1946 Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE FOR DOORS Charles F. Sponsler, Philadelphia, Pa` Application July 25, 1946, Serial No. 686,206

(Cl. Iii- 86) 7 Claims. 1

` This invention relates to a device for absorbing the shock attendant upon the closing of doors which normally tend to assume closed position, such, for example, as screen doors that are closed by spring force. Its principle of operation is basically the same as that of the shock absorbing device which is the subject of my Patent No. 2,387,689, granted October 23, 1945.

The invention has for its object to provide a device which is of simple construction, small in size and cheaply and easily manufactured and which while permitting the door to close completely, will afford reliably acting means for preventing violent contact or slam of the door against its door frame. The principal feature of the invention, generally stated, consists in yieldingly mounting upon a bracket, through the intermediary of an arched spring, a resilient member which is adapted to be deformed when cushioning the impact between a closing door and its associated'jamb, the said spring by reason of its arched form being adapted to provide forces of different values for respectively resisting bodily displacement of said resilient member in a direction substantialh7 normal to the plane of the door and also parallel to the plane of the door, whereby when the door is opened, the deformable resilient member is caused by said spring to positively assume and temporarily maintain a position in which it provides an obstruction to any fast closing movement of the door, but when during closing of the door the closing speed has been sufhciently reduced to permit the door to close quietly, the door is enabled to displace the deformable resilient member in a direction removing it from its position of obstruction.

Another feature of the invention consists in yieldingly mounting the deformable resilient roller upon the bracket by means of a helical spring of arched form which is specially wound to maintain the roller in proper operating position on the spring.

A further feature of the invention resides in providing the archedhelical spring employed for mounting the roller upon the bracket with a central portion or segment consisting of small diameter closely wound coils which remain. in a substantially straight line when the spring is arched, and in also providing said spring with portions consisting of larger diameter openly wound coils ing movement during the final closing movement of the door, the arched spring being adapted to offer greater resistance to bodily displacement of the roller in one of its said two directions of movement and to maintain the roller in position subl stantially at the highest point of the spring arch.

for affording the necessary iiexure to permit the displacement of the roller from its normal free position.

A still further feature of the invention consists in yieldingly and rotatably supporting a deformable resilient roller upon a base plate or bracket by means of a spring of arched form which permits the roller to have bodily movement in two directions with respect to the bracket at an angle to each other and to execute a turn- There are other features of invention, residing in particular combinations of parts and elemental features of construction, all as will hereinafter appear and be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims,

Figure l is a perspective View of the shock absorbing device,

Figure 2 is a plan View of the bracket of the device.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the bracket on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional View of the bracket on line 4 5 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a view of the coiled spring before assembly with the bracket showing the different diameters of coils and their relative positions in the spring.

Figure 6 is an elevation View of the device looking towards the door and illustrating the relative positions assumed by the parts during the iinal closing movement of the door.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan View illustrating the shock absorbing device applied to a spring actuated swinging door, the door being partly open.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the positions assumed by the parts at the instant the shock absorbing device meets the door jamb as the door closes.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relative positions of the parts when the door is fully closed.

In the drawings, l indicates the ordinary swinging type door closed by the force of spring 2. While it may be mounted upon the door jamb, the shock absorbing device is preferably mounted on the inside of the door so as better to protect it against molestation.

The device consists of three parts, namely, a bracket 4, a deformable resilient roller 5 and a spring 6 of arched form for yieldingly and rotatably supporting the roller upon the bracket.

rlhe bracket l may be conveniently made of sheet metal. It is formed with a base plate portion 1 preferably provided with parallel slots il to receive screws l5 or other means for fastening time bracket to the door. The direction of the slots is preferably at an angle of 45 degrees to the axis of the roller 5. The slots permit limited adjustment of the device to properly position the roller for effectively preventing slamming ofthe door.

Two cylindrical spring sockets 9 extend up- Yto the base l wardly from the base plate 'I, preferably vat right angles to it. They are in spaced relation to each arched form when assembled with the bracket.

Between the cylindrical spring sockets il of the bracket, spaced a short distance from the cylindrical face of the roller 5 and at-a substantially greater distance from the base plate l, the bracket il is provided with a surface which `forms an abutment It for the roller 5 when the latter is displaced in a direction substantially perpendicular ofthe bracket as occurs during a rapid door closing movement. At thattimethe energy'of the vfast moving door is sucient .to overcome the force exerted'by the spring 5in opposition to the bodily displacement of the roller towards .the base oi the bracket.

The device when 'in use on a doonmay be occasionally subjected Y to accidental blows or forcestendingto dislodge it from correct operatingyposition. By providing screw slots 8 inthe base 'plate at an oblique angle to the direction of its longitudinal axis, the screws I5 notonlyserve to clamp the device to a door member but also serve as dowels to counteract any force tending to elect the shifting off'the bracket. 4 with. respect to the door member tol which it is. secured. It will be apparent `from the drawings thatthe only operative force of appreciable magnitude Vacting upon bracket 4 is the force caused by the simultaneous impingement of the roller upon the door jambV and upon the bracket when the roller is'checking` a fast closing movement ofthe door. VIt will also be apparent that this 'force is. directed horizontally against abutment I9 oi4 the bracket and always tends to dislodge. the bracket transversely towards the hinge side of the door'. By providing the bracket with two adjustment slots s parallel to each other but at anV oblique angle to the horizontally directed force tending to dislodge the bracket, instead of providing two slots parallel to the direction of the force, the following advantages are obtained: (l) vFarless clamping effect is required of the screws since only'that component of the horizontally directed force against the bracket which is parallel to the slots must be resisted by the clamping pressure of the screwheads, the other force component which is at right angles to the side of the slot being resisted by theshanks ofthe screws; For this reason smaller attaching screws are required and maximum adjustment of the bracket is possible for slots of a given length. (2) The bracket is more rmly secured; its dislodgement is resisted even if only a single screw clamps theY bracket. No transverse movement of the bracket 'can occur without a simultaneous vertical movement thereof, and if the bracket is clamped by one screw it cannot rotatev about either screw as an axis.V (3) Perfect Vertical alignmentof the bracket is always assured, since-the screwsonce located one directly above the other, maintain the vertical axis of the bracket in parallel relation to the ledge of the door, thus facilitatingeasy adjustment of the bracket transverselyl ofthe.'

door "both before and whilejnally tightening'the screws.

j At its ends the coiledspring 6' (see Fig. 5.) 1s formed'with closely wound coils to provide end sections i I which are adapted to be rigidly ciamped in the respective cylindrical' sockets. 9 of the bracket. The Ncentral sectionv `I3 ofiithe spring also consists of closely wound coils of relatively small diameter, thus providing a substantially straight line central portion of the spring to forman axleiortha-resilient roller 5. By'reasonzxcf itscoils beingclosely Wound, that is to say, adjacent coils being in contact, the section I3 of the spring maintains its straight line condition when the spring is mounted onl the bracket in arched form. The larger diameter J sections: I-2of spring 6, one on either side of the central section i 3 upon which the roller 5 is journalled, -act Ito limit excessive sidewise movement of the roller in either drection from its normal position and thus retain the roller directly over the center of .the abutment l0 of. the bracket. Theselarger diameter sections I2 of the spring are, composedof open Wound coils, that is. with space between adjacent coils, and it is in these two sections of the vrspring that substantially all the spring flexuretakes place during a door clos-V ing movement.

Theresilient rollerj5'is adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of' the door, at which time it isforced againstthe. abutment I of the bracket by impingment against 'the corner ofthe door-frame (seeFig. 8). ".The roller is preferably madeofrubber in'the form oia shortcylinderand is provided with an axialhole. Iof adiameter slightly larger .than'the outside diameter of section I3 of thesprin'g,l the diameter of the hole in the Aroller'being, however,..de cidedly smaller than thatofithe coils ofsections I2 ofthe spring;

The operation'of the shockabsorbing device is as follows: Assuming that the door shown in'Figure 7 is'about to complete yarapid closing. movement and that the device is located on the inside. faceor the door so that'theresilientroller5 is in proper position relativeV to the door fra-me member, further closing movement of the door causes the roller to impinge upon the door frame member at thecorner I4 and `forces the roller towards the door until it comes in contact with'theabutment I!v of the bracket, the parts then assuming the relative positionsillustrated in Figure 8. The roller 5 thus being in contact withthe (door frame at one point on its periphery and .being also. in contact at a distant point on its periphery with the abutment lit. therefore then constitutes .an obstruction interposed between the door and door frame and prevents the door from closing. Dur.- ing its contact with the abutment lll of .the bracket, the resilient roller 5 is compressedand. momentarily deformed from its normal circular shape; The door then reboundsoutwardly until its movement is checked bythe opposing action of the door closing spring 2 4which thereupon again causes the door to approachthe door frame but at a less speed than that ofthe previousclosing movement. If `theclosingspeedof 4thedoor has not been reducedsumciently by therst rebound torpermitnal. closing, the-doorwill-rebound again. This action continues and as successive rebounds ofthe-door become shorter, the force due toI impingement of. the roller against the corner I4of the. door. frame becomes progressively smaller untllthis force is less than vthe. force of the spring 5 resisting movementoflthe roller. 5. intocontactfwiththe abutment -i 0 ol the bracket 4. At this timethe roller 51 remains in contact with the door. frame but. no longer. makes contact .with the abutment Il). Thefdoorfisfnow free to close yand the residual tensionlinthefdoor springZ. rst displaces theroller. inwardly to-Y- movement takes place, the force imparted to the roller by impingement against the door frame has become very slight but is still suincient to over-v come the opposition of the spring 6 to displacement of the roller parallel to the base Iplate 1 and to the face of the door, as shown in Figures 6 and 9. During nnal closing movement of the door, the roller 5 is no longer distorted from its cylindrical shape, but rolls freely around the corner I4 of the door frame until it assumes the position (see Fig. 9) it occupies when the door has completely closed, In assuming this position when the door is fully closed, the arched spring 6 upon which the roller 5 is mounted is appreciably flexed transversely out of its normal plane and this insures the immediate restoration of the roller to its normal position of obstruction when the door is again opened.

It will be apparent that, when the shock absorbing device is applied to the 'outside of the door frame it will operate in the same manner as when used on the inside of the door. It will also be apparent that the device is suitable for use on doors of either hand and on doors in which space limitations necessitate the use of a shock absorbing device of compact form.

In mounting the shock absorbing device in operating position upon the door, the following procedure may be conveniently followed: With the door closed tightly, draw a line on the inside of the door at the place where the device is to be located by moving the point of a pencil along the edge of the door frame, making the line about the length of the bracket 4. Then open the door and, while the edge of the base plate 1 that is nearer the door frame is held on the pencil line, start the screws I5 at the inner ends of the slots 8. Shift the device until the screws reach the middle of the slots and then tighten the screws fully. If in this position of the shock absorbing device the door fails to close completely, loosen the screws, shift the device farther from the adjacent edge of the door and again tighten the screws; if the door slams, move the device nearer to the edge of the door.

What I claim is:

l. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position, said device comprising a bracket, resilient means adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the door, and a spring for movably mounting said resilient means on said bracket, the ends of said spring being secured to said bracket so that said spring is of arched forni when assembled with the bracket.

2. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position, said device comprising a bracket, a resilient roller adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the door, and a coiled spring for movably mounting said roller on said bracket. said spring having end sections of closely wound coils secured to the said bracket, said spring being of arched form when assembled with the bracket and said bracket being provided with spaced sockets within which the said end sections are respectively received.

3. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position, said device comprising a bracket, a resilient roller adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the door, and a coiled spring for rotatably mounting said roller on said bracket, said spring being provided with a central portion forming an axle mounting for the said roller and being provided at opposite ends of said axle portion with coils of larger diameter than those of the central axle portion, whereby the roller is restrained from substantial sidewise shifting on the spring, and said spring being secured in arched relation to said bracket.

4. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position, said device comprising a bracket, a resilient member adapted t0 engage said bracket and to be deformed when arresting a'closing movement of the door, and spring means of arcuate form attached to said bracket at spaced points thereof and connecting said resilient member to said bracket, said spring means serving to maintain said resilient member in position and being yieldable in a direction enabling said resilient member to engage said bracket between said points of attachment of the spring means to said bracket during arrest of the closing movement of the door.

5. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position, said device comprising a resilient roller, a coiled spring of arched form constituting a yielding support for the said roller, a bracket having a base plate to which the ends of said spring are secured, said base plate being in a plane substantially normal to the plane of said arched spring, and said bracket being formed between its ends with an abutment extending toward said roller and adapted to be engaged by the roller when the latter is arresting a closing movement of the door.

6. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position, said device comprising a resilient roller, a coiled spring of arched form constituting a yielding support for the said roller, a bracket to which the opposite ends of said spring are secured, said bracket having a base plate provided with a plurality of slots adapted to receive screws for mounting the device in operative position, said slots permitting adjustment of position of the device and being disposed parallel to each other and at an oblique angle to the axis of the roller.

7. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position, said device comprising a resilient roller adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the door, a bracket, a spring of arched form secured at its ends to said bracket and constituting means for mounting said roller upon said` bracket in spaced relation thereto, said bracket having a plate portion provided with a plurality of slots extending at an oblique angle to the axis of said roller and adapted to receive means for mounting the device in operative position, the ends of said spring being positioned between said slots.

CHARLES F. SPONSLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 328,192 Coultaus Oct. 13, 1885 463,813 Paine Nov. 24, 1891 1,105,963 Clem d Aug 4, 1914 2,387,689 Sponsler Oct. .23, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 505,236 Great Britain May 8. 1939 

